Trump supporters form human wall at southern border

This will be the seventh rally President Trump has held in Texas, and the first rally he's ever held in El Paso.

The dueling rallies come after Trump claimed in his State of the Union speech last week that a border fence separating El Paso from Mexico reduced the city's high crime rate.

After a 35-day partial government shutdown that ended January 25, the federal government could close again if congressional Republicans and Democrats cannot hammer out a compromise.

Supporters of President Donald Trump and his proposed wall gathered at the Texas-Mexico border Saturday, linking hands to form a human barrier of their own.

The activists appeared to universally support the president and his long-held pledge to build a border wall, and they seemed to be making their own symbolic barrier where the border fence now finishes.

On Monday evening, O'Rourke will lead a march through the city and then speak at a "Celebration of El Paso" event at 7 p.m. local time - across the street from Trump's rally and at the same time it is set to begin, according to O'Rourke's team. On Tuesday, O'Rourke promised a 2020 decision by the end of the month.

In a tweet, El Paso Mayor Dee Margo, a Republican, panned the president: "El Paso was NEVER one of the MOST risky cities in the U.S. We've had a fence for 10 years and it has impacted illegal immigration and curbed criminal activity".

In his State of the Union, President Donald Trumpsaid a "powerful barrier" had cut crime rates and turned El Paso, Texas, from one of the nation's most unsafe cities to one of its safest.

In response to his statement, Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobarwrote to Trump asking him to apologize to the residents of the city - which she represents - for his comments.